On Holy Days
by Isabel Night
Summary: Two months after Talpa's defeat, Kento takes Dais to a Catholic Church for three Holy Days. This is a book of three stories from Dais' POV.
1. Book 1 Ash Wednesday

Disclaimer-I don't own Kento of Hardrock or Dais of Illusion, they belong to their respective owners and producers. This is the first religious story in a series of three religious stories based on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Since all three stories are based on Catholic Traditions, this story will take Catholic views. If you do not want to read a story based on Catholic Traditions, then DO NOT READ THIS STORY. I WILL NOT FORCE MY RELIGION DOWN ANYONE ELSE'S THROAT.  
  
On Ash Wednesday  
Isabel Night  
  
All my life I have practiced my Shinto beliefs, but today, my former rival Kento of Hardrock has invited me to a "Catholic Church." At this "Catholic Church" the priest, who wears a strange garment, says that today is Ash Wednesday. As the priest begins to tell the story of Jesus' temptation in the desert for 40 days, I begin to reflect about the turn of events in my life.  
  
What this "Catholic Church" fails to tell these mortals is that the "Devil" can come in many forms. My devil came to me with the promise of power, wealth, immortality, and a family. However, unlike this Jesus, I was not strong enough to resist the dark promise of Talpa's lies. Thus, I succumbed to the will of a devil, and as punishment, I lost Anubis.  
Before the priest says he's going to "distribute ashes," he states something that any immortal samurai could tell you about mortals or life in general. "For we are dust, and from dust we shall return to dust."  
Despite how obvious it sounds, I am very surprised at how straightforward the priest speaks these words to his "congregation."  
  
I go up to "receive ashes." Although I am not "Catholic," I can lie well enough to get a deeper meaning of any religious service. At first I was a little weary about receiving the ashes of deceased people, but Hardrock assured me that these "ashes" were nothing more than the ashes of burned palm leaves, whatever those are.  
  
After I say the appropriate words, I receive my ashes and sit back down, Hardrock smiles at me, but as the "Mass" continues, my mind wanders back to the memorial service all eight of us had for Anubis three months ago.  
  
Sometimes I wonder about that final battle against Talpa. At those times, I wonder why Anubis would fight for our souls? He said he cared about us and that he was going to save us, so why did he have to die? Hardrock catches my thoughts and smiles at me; he says he'll take me to church on "Good Friday" for that answer.  
  
THE END…Until Good Friday. 


	2. Book 2 Good Friday

Disclaimer-I don't own Kento of Hardrock or Dais of Illusion, they belong to their respective owners and producers. This is the second religious story in a series of three religious stories based on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday. Since all three stories are based on Catholic Traditions, this story will take Catholic views. If you do not want to read a story based on Catholic Traditions, then DO NOT READ THIS STORY. I WILL NOT FORCE MY RELIGION DOWN ANYONE ELSE'S THROAT.  
  
On Good Friday  
Isabel Night  
  
As Hardrock walks with me inside the "church," he says that we are here to celebrate "Good Friday." I notice that the church is quiet, quieter than the "Ash Wednesday" Mass.  
  
As we take our seats, I absently notice the statue of a man to the right side of the area where the "altar" is placed. The man looks familiar, but I don't know how I know that. "Hardrock," I whisper, "who is that man?"  
"That's St. Francis Xavier," Hardrock replies, "he brought Catholicism to our country in the 1500's. You would have been about two or three years old when he made his last trip here. A short time after his last trip, he went back to Europe where he later died."  
"He looks familiar," I whispered.  
"Do you remember meeting him when you were little?" Hardrock questioned.  
"All I remember is a man dressed like the priest at this church who came to my home region. He talked to the other children, but he told me something that I still don't understand."  
"What did he tell you?" Hardrock asked, puzzled.  
"He said I had an "angel" watching over me."  
"Is that all?" Hardrock replied as he furrowed his eyebrows.  
"He also told me that "angels" come to people in many shapes and forms. Do you think he knew about…?" I stop as memories of Anubis come flooding back into my mind. Did this saint know about the impact Anubis would have on me when I got older? Did he know that Anubis would become my "angel?"  
  
I push these thoughts out of my head as the service begins. Today, according to the priest, is the day Jesus died on a cross to save everyone from his or her sins. The mood is very somber, and as the story is being read, I unconsciously shed tears. They say Jesus died unjustly, but so did Anubis. Why did Anubis have to die for our mistakes? Why did he have to suffer for our faults and failings? My mind screams these questions as the "priest" gives his "sermon."  
  
I am very surprised at how the "priest" says that we will never know how Jesus' followers felt when he died, but the "priest" can't even begin to describe the pain Cale, Sekhmet, and I felt when Anubis died for us. This mortal says that giving up one's life for one's friends is considered the ultimate act of love, but this mortal doesn't even understand the emotional pain that a person's friend suffers when they die. Anubis opened us up to many things: he was our light, our reason to be social with other people, and our reason to become the family we became. And now, all three of us have shut down emotionally. We let no one in because we don't want to get hurt. We've shut everyone else out because we don't have a choice. Should something happen to Cale or Sekhmet, I would die inside, and I can't go through that again.  
  
If Hardrock can sense these thoughts, then he would probably take me to what the mortals call a "psychiatrist," or a doctor that heals the mind.  
  
Hardrock sees me crying and puts him arm around my shoulders. He smiles at me and says, "Where there is death and despair, there is also hope and life."  
  
I missed the meaning of the service, but Hardrock understands. When we're leaving the "church," I ask him what he meant when he said, "Where there is death and despair, there is also hope and life." He smiles and says he'll take me to church on "Easter Sunday" for that answer.  
  
THE END…Until Easter Sunday 


End file.
